{{Short description|American sports comedy film directed by Kurt Hale}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Church Ball | image = Church_Ball_Movie_Poster.jpg | caption = | director = Kurt Hale | writer = Paul Eagleston<br />Kurt Hale<br />Stephen Rose | producer = George Dayton<br />Kurt Hale<br />Dave Hunter | starring = Fred Willard<br />Andrew Wilson<br />Clint Howard<br />Gary Coleman<br />Ross Brockley<br />Curt Dousett<br />Larry Bagby<br />Steve Anderson | cinematography = Billy Webb | editing = Wynn Hougaard<br />John Lyde | music = | distributor = Halestorm Entertainment | released = {{Film date|2006|03|17}} | runtime = 91 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $1,000,000<ref name=BOM>{{cite web |title=Church Ball |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0457303/ |website=Box Office Mojo |publisher=Amazon |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> | gross = $464,991<ref name=BOM/> }} '''''Church Ball''''' is a 2006 sports comedy film written and directed by Kurt Hale. It follows an underdog Latter-day Saint church basketball team and their attempts to make it to the championship in the league's last season. The film stars Andrew Wilson, Fred Willard, Clint Howard, and Gary Coleman.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Hale |first=Kurt |title=Church Ball |date=2006-03-17 |type=Comedy, Sport |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457303/ |others=Andrew Wilson, Amy Stewart, Clint Howard |publisher=Halestorm Entertainment |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>
==Plot== {{Expand section|date=December 2025}} A local Utah LDS Church holds the record as having the worst basketball team in the church ball league. The team has failed to make it into the church tournament in the past 20 years. Due to rumors of this being the last year of the league, former team coach, and now Bishop Linderman (Fred Willard) has called Dennis Buckstead (Andrew Wilson) to coach a team made of clumsy misfits to the championship.
Church expectations of brotherly love, sportsmanship, and fellowship fall prey to competitive fierceness in the effort to win, while Dennis works to bring unity and cooperation.
== Cast == * Andrew Wilson as Dennis Buckstead * Fred Willard as Bishop Linderman * Clint Howard as Gene Jensen * Gary Coleman as Charles Higgins * Amy Stewart as Susan Buckstead
==Production== === Development and casting === The original script for the film was written years beforehand by Kurt Hale, Paul Eagleston, and Stephen Rose.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Vice |first=Jeff |date=March 17, 2006 |title='Church Ball' may be HaleStorm's last LDS comedy |url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/3/17/19943534/church-ball-may-be-halestorm-s-last-lds-comedy/ |newspaper=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret Management Corporation |issn=0745-4724 |oclc=367900153 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408161814/https://www.deseret.com/2006/3/17/19943534/church-ball-may-be-halestorm-s-last-lds-comedy/ |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref> Halestorm Entertainment began production of the film in 2005. Gary Coleman was cast as Charles Higgins. Andrew Wilson, Clint Howard, and Fred Willard were later cast as Dennis Buckstead, Gene Jensen, and Bishop Linderman, respectively.<ref name=":0" />
=== Filming === Filming took place primarily in Orem and Provo, Utah in 2005. The former Douglas Ward meetinghouse at 721 S 1200 E in Salt Lake City and the former Wallsburg meetinghouse in Wallsburg were both used for filming.<ref>{{cite web |last=Barlow |first=Jacob |date=February 8, 2020 |title=Church Ball (2006) |url=https://jacobbarlow.com/2020/02/08/church-ball-2006/ |website=JacobBarlow.com |language=en-US |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>
During filming, Gary Coleman met his now wife, Shannon Price, on set. Price was an extra in the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gary Coleman Wife: An Untold Story & Disputed Legacy |url=https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/gary-coleman-wife |website=www.blinkist.com |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>
==Release== ===Theatrical=== ''Church Ball'' was released in theaters on March 17, 2006, by Halestorm Entertainment.<ref name=Vice>{{cite news |last=Vice |first=Jeff |date=March 17, 2006 |title=Film review: Hale has a ball with new film |url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/3/17/20091449/film-review-hale-has-a-ball-with-new-film/ |newspaper=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret Management Corporation |issn=0745-4724 |oclc=367900153 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251217013859/https://www.deseret.com/2006/3/17/20091449/film-review-hale-has-a-ball-with-new-film/ |archive-date=December 17, 2025 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref>
===Home media=== On September 26, 2006, ''Church Ball'' was released on DVD by Stone Five Studios.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=September 26, 2006 |title=Church Ball |url=https://www.deseretbook.com/product/4968149.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqto3qf5ZhAGVDf0JoK_hot9LsYK0HCDhHeiw9VWl2WOg5y8_3i |website=Stone Five Studios |publisher=Halestorm Entertainment |format=DVD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251217044025/https://www.deseretbook.com/product/4968149.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqto3qf5ZhAGVDf0JoK_hot9LsYK0HCDhHeiw9VWl2WOg5y8_3i |archive-date=December 17, 2025 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Box office=== ''Church Ball'' opened on March 17, 2006, with $144,376. The film ended grossing $464,991 against a $1,000,000 budget.<ref name=BOM/>
===Critical response=== The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed {{nowrap|twelve critics}} and reported a 17 percent approval rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 4.3 out of 10. It received a 39% approval rating from audiences.<ref>{{cite web |title=Church Ball |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/church_ball |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media |language=en |access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>
Jeff Vice of the ''Deseret News'' wrote in his review: "t's hard to tell whether the jokes in "Church Ball" are any funnier than those in earlier HaleStorm movie productions — ''The Singles Ward'', ''The R.M.'' and ''The Home Teachers''."<ref name=Vice/> William Arnold of the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' wrote in his review: "Clearly, Mormon movies are not what they used to be. But ''Church Ball'' seems to be a complete break with the genre's missionary past.<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=William |date=April 27, 2006 |title=Disrespectful Mormon spoof 'Church Ball' lacks a message |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/entertainment/movies/article/disrespectful-mormon-spoof-church-ball-lacks-a-1202148.php |newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |publisher=Hearst Communications |issn=0745-970X |oclc=3734418 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> Ted Fry of the ''Seattle Times'' wrote in his review: "I have no idea whether Fred Willard is a Mormon, but thanks to his signature glib charm he plays one effortlessly as coach of an inept basketball team in ''Church Ball'', a carefree, underdog sports comedy."<ref>{{cite news |last=Fry |first=Ted |date=Apr 28, 2006 |title="Church Ball": Faith-based plot shoots for laughs |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060428/churchball28/church-ball-faith-based-plot-shoots-for-laughs |newspaper=Seattle Times |publisher=The Seattle Times Company |issn=0745-9696 |oclc=9198928 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250423172754/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20060428/churchball28/church-ball-faith-based-plot-shoots-for-laughs |archive-date=April 23, 2025 |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref>
====Actor's responses==== Gary Coleman described his dissatisfaction with the film's quality. Although he stated he enjoyed the process of making the film, he remarked that watching the production process was like "giving monkeys cameras and lights." Despite this, the project introduced Coleman to Utah, and he moved to Santaquin soon after filming. He later commented that he was thankful to Kurt hale for introducing him to the state.<ref name=":1" />
Clint Howard praised Halestorm Entertainment for producing family-friendly entertainment.<ref name=":1" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.churchball.com/}} *{{IMDb title|id=0457303|title=Church Ball}} *{{rotten-tomatoes|church_ball}}
{{Halestorm Entertainment Films}}
Category:2006 films Category:American basketball films Category:2000s sports comedy films Category:American sports comedy films Category:Christianity and sports Category:2006 comedy films Category:Halestorm Entertainment films Category:2006 English-language films Category:2006 American films Category:English-language sports comedy films